


Darcy Lewis and the School of Wizardry - Year 1

by Caiti (Caitriona_3)



Series: Darcy Lewis Goes to Hogwarts [1]
Category: Avengers, Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, Thor (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fusion, Gen, Harry Potter Fusion, Kid Fic, Teenagers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-06-09
Updated: 2014-03-05
Packaged: 2017-12-14 10:53:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,698
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/836108
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Caitriona_3/pseuds/Caiti
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Darcy Lewis is a witch and comes to Hogwarts.  It's a toss up on who will be the most affected - her or the school.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. To Be Sorted

**Author's Note:**

> I promise I have not abandoned by other stories, but this demanded to be written. I'm hoping to get another chapter of "It's a Girl" and "Compass Rose" over the next week, but this particular plot bunny insisted on being heard. This is an HP fusion - there are no HP characters (at least not yet) and I have no idea where it falls in the timeline, but I'm thinking its long after the HP time. I have made no firm decisions on pairings and I may or may not stick with my favorites. They're only 11 through 13, so I figure I've got time.

“May I join you?”

Darcy Lewis looked up from her sketchpad to see another first year girl standing at the door of the compartment. “Yeah, sure,” she shrugged.

“I didn’t want to disturb you,” the new girl explained, “but everywhere else was full.”

The girl’s bright blue eyes and deep chestnut locks combined with her pale skin and pointed chin to give her an impish, almost elfish look that Darcy itched to sketch.  “I’m Darcy,” she stated instead.  “Darcy Lewis.”

“Betty Ross,” the other girl smiled. The smile slipped away as Betty bit her lip. She looked like something was ready to burst out of her.  “Did you know about magic before?”

Darcy blinked in surprise, but then tilted her head in consideration.  “You’re Muggle-born, aren’t you?”

“What?” Betty asked in confusion.

“Your parents are not magical, right?”

“Dad’s not, for sure,” Betty confirmed.  She frowned.  “I don’t think Mom was.  Dad was too shocked at the letter.”

Darcy winced.  “Sorry?”

“Oh, it’s alright,” Betty hurriedly assured her.  “She’s been gone awhile.”

“Right,” Darcy nodded, but quickly turned the subject around.  “Anyway, Muggle-borns are witches and wizards who had Muggles, non-magic folks, as parents.”

“I see,” Betty accepted.  “In that case, yes, I’m Muggle-born.  What about you?”

“Pure blood,” Darcy rolled her eyes.  “Which doesn’t mean much.”

“I beg to differ.” A new voice entered the conversation.

Both girls looked up to find a tall, dark haired boy standing in the entrance.  His sharp green eyes glared at Darcy.  “Blood is all that counts to many in the Wizarding world.”

“Yeah,” Darcy snipped.  “To stuck up jerks.”

His eyes went cold.  “You might want to be more careful with your tone, little girl.”  With that he spun away and stalked off.

“Who was that?” Betty asked, eyes wide.

“Don’t know, don’t care,” Darcy scoffed.  She turned back and saw a slight tremor in Betty’s hands.  “Hey, you okay?”

“Sure,” Betty agreed quickly, too quickly.

“Right,” Darcy drew the word out, not believing her, but not willing to push.  She decided to change the subject.  “Can I draw you?”

Betty tore her eyes away from the entrance and stared at her in surprise.  “Okay.”

“Great!” Darcy flipped to a fresh page.

“Do I need to do anything?” Betty asked.

“Nope,” Darcy replied with a grin.  “You can read, watch the scenery, even sleep.”  She pointed at Betty.  “Just don’t leave.”

Betty smiled before digging out a book and settling into the corner of the compartment.  Her focus split between Darcy and the book for less than five minutes before she became completely absorbed in her reading.  Darcy bit back a laugh; Betty looked just like her mother when she worked on her spell crafting. 

The time passed quickly and quietly.  Darcy hand flew across the sketchpad, trying desperately to capture the intensity of Betty’s reading.  She looked like a little girl trying to figure out how letters made words, but her eyes told the full story.  Betty not only understood what she was reading, but she seemed to be internalizing it, memorizing it even.

Darcy shook her head.  “I’ll bet you make Ravenclaw.”

“Huh?” Betty’s eyes struggled to focus for a minute.  “What’s Ravenclaw?”

“Oh, right, you wouldn’t know,” Darcy noted.  She began explaining even as her sketched continued to take form.  “There are four Houses in Hogwarts and the students are divided among them.  There’s Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin.”

“Why is it divided like that?”

“No idea,” Darcy answered breezily.  “Probably because it’s always been that way.  The founders started it, and there’s a whole other story there.  So,” she continued, “the Houses.  Well, Gryffindor is where the brave students go, Hufflepuff takes the hard workers, Slytherin gets the ambitious ones, and Ravenclaw has the smart ones.”  She pointed at Betty’s book.  “With the way you’re going?  You’re a Ravenclaw for sure.”

“What about you?” Betty asked.

Darcy lifted one shoulder.  “No clue,” she admitted.  “I don’t think I’d fit any of them.”

“Considering how you told that boy off, you might be Gryffindor,” Betty pointed out.

“Nothing brave about that,” Darcy answered.  “He wouldn’t try anything on the Express.”

“Can…” Betty’s voice trailed off.  There was a pause and then she took a deep breath.  “Even if we’re in different Houses, can we be friends?”  Something fearful peeked out of her eyes.

“Of course!” Darcy insisted.  “Who cares what House we get into?” She blew a light raspberry.  “We’ll definitely be friends.”

A bright smile spread over Betty’s face.  “Thank you,” she said softly.

“Plus, if you do make Ravenclaw, I’ll introduce you to my cousin Jane.  She’s the smart one of the family…crazy smart.”  Darcy grinned before making one final flourish on her paper.  “And….there!”  She turned it around.  “What do you think?”

“Wow,” Betty breathed.  “That’s not me!”

“It is, too!” Darcy replied turning it back to look once more.  “That’s how I saw you while you were reading.”

“Good sketch,” a new voice commented.

A short blond boy in Gryffindor colors stepped into the compartment followed by a taller brunette of the same House.  The two older boys smiled, but the blond moved to peer at Darcy’s drawing.  “You’re really good with the play of light and shadow.”

“You draw?” Darcy demanded excitedly.

The brunette rolled his eyes.  “Only every other minute.”

“Shut it, Bucky,” the blond protested.  He shook his head as he turned back to the girls.  “Steve Rogers,” he introduced himself with a smile before tilting his head at his friend.  “This is Bucky Barnes.”

Darcy introduced herself and Betty before refocusing on Steve once more.  “You really think it’s good?” she asked, tilting the drawing towards him.

“Definitely,” he grinned as he sat next to her.  “See here? And here?” He pointed at the sketch.  “You can really see the intensity of her eyes and the movement of her hair.  It’s had to get that in a sketch.”

Bucky shook his head as he leaned on the entrance.  “You got him started,” he mockingly complained.  “It couldn’t be Quidditch?”

“What’s Quidditch?” Betty spoke for the first time.

All three looked at her, causing her to pull back just a bit.

Bucky put on a charming smile and slid into the seat next to the shy girl.  “Quidditch is a Wizarding Sport, and you’ll love it,” he asserted. 

He began explaining the game to her, but she seemed lost until Steve borrowed Darcy’s sketchpad and made a quick, rough drawing to so she could see the various things Bucky was describing.  The two boys got into an argument over teams and Darcy just laughed.

She looked at Betty.  “Quidditch nutters,” she pronounced loftily.

“Hey!” Both boys turned to her with identical injured expressions.  The girls broke into peals of laughter.  It was contagious, so it wasn’t long before the boys started chuckling as well.

“I hope you two are in Gryffindor,” Bucky told them after the merriment died down.  “We could use more girls with humor.”

Steve gave a soft huff.  “We could use more of _anybody_ with humor.”

“True,” Bucky acknowledged.  “How’d we end up in the year with all the stuffy Gryffs?”

“They were warned you were coming?” Darcy asked, widening her eyes and blinking innocently at him.

Steve almost fell over laughing as Bucky gaped at the younger girl.  “She’s got you there, Buck,” he managed to get out between chortles. 

“Yeah, yeah.”  Bucky reached across the aisle to aim a smack at his friend.  Darcy noted how carefully he pulled his swing.  “Punk.”

“Jerk,” Steve shot back, dodging the smack.

“You sound like you’ve known each other for a while,” Betty commented.

“Pretty much,” Steve nodded as he started coughing.

“Since we were little kids,” Bucky agreed distractedly.  His attention zeroed in on his friend, but Steve waved him off.  Bucky sat back, the smile sliding back over his lips, but Darcy noted how the frown line stayed between his eyes and his gaze would return to Steve more often even after the coughing fit stopped.

Darcy met his gaze and gave a quick wink.  “So,” she turned to Steve, “want to see some more of my stuff?  And are you any good with drawing water?”

“Sure,” Steve enthused.  He began flipping through her sketches, murmuring or commenting over each one. 

Bucky gave her a grateful smile and something in Darcy relaxed.  As he turned to keep Betty company while the two artists talked, Darcy realized her relief came from knowing two older students who would be friendly right off the bat.  That was no small feat for a pair of first years.

The boys walked them off the train when it finally stopped, and escorted them to a fierce looking man waiting nearby.  “Hey, Professor Howlett,” Steve called out.

“Rogers,” Howlett growled.  He stared down at the two girls.  “First years?”

“Yep,” Bucky agreed with a grin.  “And these are actually funny.”

“Should I worry?” The professor gave him a sarcastic look.  “Considering your idea of funny…?”

“Oh, come on, professor,” Bucky smirked. 

“Try to wait until after the feast before getting your first detention, okay?” Howlett gave him a bland stare before turning to the girls. “Professor Howlett, Care of Magical Creatures.”

Betty gave him a nervous smile, but Darcy tossed out a brilliant one.  “Darcy Lewis and Betty Ross,” she announced.  “What type of creatures, and can I draw them?”

He blinked at her in surprise before laughing.  “You’re a little spitfire, aren’t you?” 

She grinned.  “Does that mean I can come draw the more advanced creatures if I have time?”

“Sure, darlin’,” he patted her on the shoulder.  “You come down anytime.”  He turned to the boys.  “You two go on.  These two will see you up at the castle.” 

The boys waved at the two girls as Professor Howlett called for the other first years, keeping them next to him and helping them into a boat.  Darcy figured either she’d really managed to get his attention or the professor liked Bucky and Steve more than he let on. 

Riding in the lead boat with the professor, the two girls had the best view as Hogwarts came into sight.

“Oh!” Betty gasped and Darcy even had to blink in surprise.  Hogwarts stood out beautifully against the moonlit sky at from this angle.  Her fingers twitched, desperate for a pencil and paper, even as her mind raced to record every detail.  She wanted to sketch this view, to try and capture this moment.

Professor Howlett gave both of them a grin as the boats came to a gentle stop.  He helped them from the boat and then growled at the others to follow him.  Darcy kept glancing around, ignoring all of the questions and comments being muttered around her.  They were trading stories about the Sorting…all of them trying to figure out the truth of how it happened.  She gave a mental shrug.  It didn’t matter to her.  Finally they reached the entrance of the castle.

Another professor met them there.  The witch looked over the students with a stern, no-nonsense gaze that had even the rowdiest of the boys settling down abruptly.  She nodded at Professor Howlett.  “I have them,” she told him.

“Professor Hill,” he nodded, discreetly patting both Darcy and Betty on the back.  He left them to her.

“Welcome to Hogwarts,” she told them directly.  “In a moment we will proceed into the Great Hall.  There you will be sorted into your House.  Your House is your team, your family as it were for your time here.  What you do, how you behave will determine if your House gains or loses points.  These points will determine the winner of the House Cup.”  Her strict gaze moved from one student to another until she managed to meet the eyes of every one of them.  She gave a sharp nod.  “Follow me.”

The students trailed behind her as they entered in the school.  A quick trip across the entry ended with the doors to the Great Hall.  The first years all gasped as they took in the reflective ceiling showing the starry night sky.  Professor Hill never paused.  She led them directly to the space in front of the head table.  A stool sat there with a raggedy-looking hat perched on top.  Darcy looked around, taking it all in.  She spotted Bucky and Steve sitting at what must be Gryffindor’s table.  Steve smiled and Bucky winked.  The dark haired boy from the train sat on the opposite side of the room in green and silver. 

 _Slytherin,_ Darcy thought as she crinkled her nose.  _I might have guessed._

Jane grinned at her from the table beside Slytherin.  She sat beside a cute if rumpled guy with wavy dark hair while across from her was…Merlin.  Tony Stark, a pureblood and son of one of the richest wizards in all of Britain, sat across from her cousin.  Darcy knew witches and wizards from all levels of society sent their kids to school here – even some from out of the country – but it was weird to see a boy like him sitting across from _her_ cousin.

The mass of first years reached the front of the room and Professor Hill gestured for them to remain still.  As silence stretched over the room, Darcy looked at the head table.  She spotted Professor Howlett immediately, and he winked at her, the corner of his mouth twitching upwards slightly.  Headmaster Fury was well known of course, and she sort of recognized the others, but together they were an odd mix of characters.  Young to old, bored, genial, happy, and grumpy – her fingers twitched again.  _I wonder if I can get them to sit for a sketch._

Before her mind could think through the ramifications of that, the hat on the stool twitched. 

Everyone’s attention focused on it, Darcy’s included.  Betty leaned forward slightly, and Darcy could almost see the gears in her head moving and circling trying to determine how the hat worked.  If she asked, Darcy would have shrugged and just said “Magic.”  She had never been interested in why magic worked – just so long as it did.  

Suddenly the tear in the hat opened and it began to sing.

_Long ages ago, at the start,_

_Four Founders strong, four friends true,_

_Made their choice and chose their own,_

_But what does that mean for you?_

_They knew, you see, the problem,_

_And troubles it would bring,_

_When they were gone and could no more_

_Be masters of the Sorting._

_Gryffindor sought out heroes,_

_Those who wanted what was right;_

_Bravery and courage he loved,_

_Claiming those who protect the light._

_Hufflepuff sought out workers,_

_Those who did not shy from toil;_

_Honor and honesty she loved,_

_Claiming those who stayed true and loyal._

_Ravenclaw sought out sages,_

_Those who liked to theorize;_

_Intelligence and wit she loved,_

_Claiming those who want to be wise._

_Slytherin sought out leaders,_

_Those who loved to plan and plot;_

_Ambition and cunning he loved,_

_Claiming those who prefer forethought._

_So how could they keep things right,_

_When Hogwarts went on alone?_

_An idea came to them and_

_Over me spells they did intone._

_Now I choose every year_

_What House you are to be;_

_So try me on and let me think_

_And then we all shall see._

Darcy blinked.  They were going to try on a hat and it was going to pick their house?  She certainly had not expected that.  Betty gave a small sigh of relief next to her.  It was certainly easier than any of the stories the others had been throwing around.  Now if she only felt like she belonged in one of the Houses. 

Professor Hill now held a piece of parchment in her hand.  “As I call your name, you will take a seat, I will place the hat on your head, and you will be sorted into your Houses.”  The list went alphabetically by their last names, so Darcy had a bit of time to wait.  She started looking around, taking in the Hall itself as well as the other students.  Finally she heard her name.  “Darcy Lewis.”

She walked up and took her seat.  Professor Hill placed the hat on her head and suddenly she could hear another voice talking in her mind.

“Now, where to put you?” He…it…he  mused.  She felt a sense of amusement.  “Either ‘he’ or ‘it’ will do, Miss Lewis.  I sense a great deal of potential within you, but your greatest strengths lie in your ability to reach out to others and your loyalty to those you consider yours.  All things considered, better be…HUFFLEPUFF!”

The last word was shouted to the room at large and Professor Hill took the hat off of her head.  She gave Betty a quick, supportive smile before going to the applauding Hufflepuff table.  She sat down next to a pretty second year who gave her an encouraging smile.

“I’m Virginia Potts,” the girl whispered, holding out a hand.

Darcy shook her hand but was unable to speak as the Sorting picked back up once more.  Instead she gave the older girl an apologetic grin and turned to watch the rest of her year mates.  Finally it was Betty’s turn.

“Elizabeth Ross,” Professor Hill announced.

The pretty dark-haired girl made her way slowly up to the stool, and her hands were obviously shaking.  Someone at the table muttered something about a fraidy-cat Muggle-born and Darcy’s head whipped around to pin the offender with a furious stare.  The fourth year sneered at her, but flinched as a fist hit his arm none-too-gently. 

A burly, red-headed third year scowled at the mouthy guy before turning and giving a smiling nod to Darcy.  She grinned back at him and then turned to see Betty’s sorting. 

The hat took a few moments before announcing, “Ravenclaw!”

Darcy applauded, and when Betty glanced at her, she mouthed, “Told you so.”   She pointed towards Jane, who, being the fantastic cousin she could be when relaxed, made someone move so Betty could sit beside her.  Darcy watched for a couple of minutes until she saw Betty relax before she watched the rest of the Sorting.

Headmaster Fury stood when it finally finished and looked over the crowd of students.  “Welcome to Hogwarts,” he told them briefly.  “Let the feast begin.”

“That was quick,” Darcy murmured as the tables suddenly filled with food.

“He saves the speech for after the feast,” Virginia told her. 

“Aye,” the burly guy agreed, “he doesn’t think we can hear over the rumbling of our stomachs.”

“Well you certainly are loud enough when you’re hungry,” retorted the boy next to him – another third year, but this one lean and blond. He turned to Darcy with a charming smile. “Welcome to Hufflepuff, Darcy. You’ve met the fair Virginia, and my uncouth friend here is Volstagg. I am Fandral and our silent companion is Hogun.” He nodded at a dark-haired third year boy who gave her a small nod as his eyes roved over the group watchfully.

“Hi,” Darcy replied, giving them all a smile.  “Interesting names.”

“We are exchange students,” Fandral explained.  “Our parents preferred to send us here instead of Durmstang.  There are five-“  Hogun elbowed him and Fandral rolled his eyes.  “Fine, fine, there are _six_ of us here.  Thor and Sif were sorted into Gryffindor, while Loki,” his voice grew stiff, “was chosen for Slytherin.”

“Cool,” Darcy replied as she took some extra turkey.  “My cousin Jane is in Ravenclaw, and my new friend Betty is the one who was just sorted.”

“You are related to Jane Foster?” Virginia asked.  “She’s one of the three smartest students in my year.”

“That’s my cousin alright,” Darcy grinned.  “She thinks rings around most people, and has a bad tendency to forget to eat or sleep when she’s on a roll.  She’s already told me I’m supposed to help dig her out of her studies every so often.”

“And will she be able to help your friend?” Hogun asked quietly.

“She’ll get her introduced to a couple of people,” Darcy explained.  “After that, it’s kind of in the air depending on what projects Jane is working on.”  She shrugged.  “Doesn’t matter.  I plan to help Betty, and once she feels comfortable, she’ll make friends pretty quick, especially in Ravenclaw.”

“She’s a different House,” a girl down the way muttered.

Darcy frowned at her.  “So? I’m not going to stop talking to her just because we were sorted differently.  I don’t care what House she’s in.”  Her eyes narrowed.  “I still plan on talking to the guys we met on the train, too, and they’re in Gryffindor.”

Hogun and Virginia gave her approving smiles.  Volstagg nodded and Fandral questioned her.  “Which Gryffindors?”

“Steve and Bucky,” she replied before taking a sip of her pumpkin juice.  “They introduced themselves and sat with us for most of the trip.”

“They’re nice,” Virginia nodded.  “Maybe a bit too much of the prankster in them usually, especially Bucky, but they go out of their way to help people, and they hate bullies with a passion.”  A small frown crossed her face.  “I think there’s a story there, but they’re not sharing.”

“Both of them are capital fellows,” Fandral agreed, “though Rogers seems to have some health issue or another.  Barnes gets quite protective, and Rogers just waves it off.”

“Thor thinks highly of both of them,” Volstagg interjected.  “So too does Sif.  Better recommendations are not to be had.”

Virginia smiled at Darcy.  “What about you?” she asked.  “Tell us something about yourself.”

“I like to draw,” Darcy replied.  “Whenever I have free time, you’ll find me in a corner somewhere with a sketchpad and a pencil.  I like music and dancing, and I never pass up a chance to go flying.”

Fandral laughed.  “We shall get along well then,” he stated grandly.  “I too enjoy music and dancing, and I will be happy to take you flying any time you like.”

“He also flirts,” Hogun noted dryly.  “A lot.”

“Really?” Darcy opened her eyes wide in mock astonishment.  “I couldn’t tell!”

The group laughed, and Fandral took the ribbing good-naturedly.  Hogun focused on her once more.  “You are a pureblood, are you not?”

She rolled her eyes.  “If that’s important to you,” she sighed.  “Yes, I’m a pureblood.”

“It matters not,” he assured her.  “It is impressive that you were so quick to jump to the defense of a Muggle-born girl.”

“The whole blood thing is stupid,” she scowled.  “There are purebloods who can barely light a candle while Muggle-borns are spell crafting, but some of the ‘purists’ keep insisting the bloodlines remain pure.”  She shook her head.  “Stupid.”

Some of the students scoffed at her, but the majority smiled or nodded.  The rest of the meal flew by rapidly as they talked and laughed about various things in their lives and as the others told her about Hogwarts.  Finally the students wound down, filled to the brim with food and drink, so Headmaster Fury rose to speak.

“As I expect you are half-asleep on full bellies, I shall keep this simple and to the point,” he told them.  “The Forbidden Forest is exactly that – forbidden.  You are not to go there unless escorted by a teacher.  Our caretaker has a list of forbidden items, events, pranks, and whatnot posted outside of his office door.  Ignorance is not an excuse.  All students are to be in their Towers at curfew.  The Heads of the Houses will hand out your schedules tomorrow at breakfast.  Good night.”

“Short and direct,” Darcy agreed.  An older Hufflepuff began calling for the first years, so she rose to follow her.  She glanced at the others.  “See you around.”  They said their own farewells before she turned to wave at Jane and then at Bucky and Steve.  The first years paraded back into the entrance, and she had just a moment to smile and nod at Betty before the two Houses split up.

 _So now I’m at Hogwarts,_ she thought.  _Good luck to me._

 


	2. Many Meetings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Her first couple of weeks passed in a blur of figuring out Hogwarts and getting into her classes. Now its time for her to meet some people.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Struggled over this chapter...hopefully it comes off for you. I'm finally...semi-satisfied, but if I wait until I'm totally satisfied, I'll never get it posted. Enjoy! (And seriously, if you recognize it from film, comic, movie tie-in, it is not mine. I just borrowed it!)

Her first couple of weeks passed in a blur. Darcy felt like her brain had been overfilled and wrung out. Between determining the quickest routes between important locations, learning to time the stairs so they would be moving when she needed them to be, and finding out Jane remained as bad as ever about getting caught up in her studies – it turned into an insane learning curve. She also tried to keep up with Betty, making a point of talking to the Ravenclaw student whenever they happened upon each other. She firmly intended to figure out a way to make it more deliberate and less happenstance, but she needed some free time first.

None of that even touched on her classes.

She enjoyed Transfiguration. The very concept of being able to change one thing into another sparked all kinds of fun ideas in her mind. If she could get Jane to agree, they might be able to do something about the bullies down the road. Beyond that though, Professor Hill challenged them every day and Darcy thrived under that kind of system. She loved pushing limits. 

Charms with Professor Grey, History of Magic with Professor Richards, and Herbology with Professor Salis were okay, but they would never make her favorites list. Professor Grey was kind of too good to be true while Professor Richards droned. Professor Salis…well, he was just strange.

Professor Coulson, on the other hand, was awesome. Defense Against the Dark Arts easily ranked in the top three of her favorite classes. Coulson insisted on doing ‘lab’ work. (She cornered Jane after her first class to find out what he meant by that. Turned out it was an odd Muggle phrase for practical application…who knew? She still didn’t get how that translated, but whatever.) Even better, he was teaching them non-magical self-defense. 

_”Why are we learning this?” Jean-Paul groused. “We’ve got wands and magic. Who needs to learn this Muggle stuff?”_

_”If someone truly intends to attack you, they are unlikely to issue you a challenge and then wait for you to draw your wand,” Professor Coulson replied calmly. “They will try and take you by surprise. If that works, then you will be defeated before you ever get the opportunity to use your magic. Learning self-defense is not about defeating an enemy. It is about gaining enough time and space to make a decision that could save your life. It is about buying time to escape, to fight, or to call for reinforcements.” He lifted one brow at the still glowering student. “It will also count for a third of your grade, Mr. Beaubier, so I would recommend you put more effort into your work.”_

Yep, definitely one of her favorites.

She loved flying, and Professor Storm did a great job of making the class fun even for students like her who already knew what they were doing. He also liked to flirt a lot with the female professors, and that could be kind of ‘ick’. Potions was another fun class, although she made sure to sit next to the door. It was an effort to be closest to the nearest escape if things went sideways – which she had every expectation of seeing happen. Professor McCoy was nice and all, but he had that crazy-eyed ‘what would happen if’ look her aunt would get before trying some weird new recipe in the kitchen. At least Aunt Eve might smoke up the house before taking them all out for dinner. Professor McCoy might actually blow something up and she wanted to have a chance at escaping.

Her last class of the day was Astronomy with Professor Selvig. She knew him, of course. Jane wanted to do an apprenticeship with him after she graduated from Hogwarts, so Darcy got to hear all about him long before she came to the school. He even visited a time or two over the past summer. Astronomy wasn’t really one of her favorite classes, but she made an extra effort to do her best. She wanted to do whatever she could to help Jane, and if that meant taking the class a bit more seriously, then so be it.

Professor Howlett remained one of the best in her mind, even if she didn’t have his class yet. She wouldn’t be able to take Care of Magical Creatures until third year. He didn’t seem to mind her dropping by during her free time though. And the creatures he showed her! The hippogriffs and nifflers were fantastic, and they liked her, so they would stay reasonably still to let her sketch them. Professor Howlett asked her to do extras of various parts of their anatomy so he could use them in class. He ranked right behind Coulson in her favorites so far.

Now she hurried towards the library. She wanted to roust out Jane and Betty so they actually ate lunch. They had skipped breakfast again. While she wasn’t quite sure about Betty, she knew darn well Jane would forget food until she dropped. What was it with geniuses and the lack of self-awareness? She rushed around the corner.

“Oof!” she cried out, falling backwards as she bounced off someone coming the other way. Strong hands caught her and held her steady until she found her balance once more. “Thank you,” she blinked, tossing a brilliant smile at the boy in front of her. “I am so sorry about that. I shouldn’t have been going so fast.”

“Are you okay?” he asked, eyeing her carefully. He shook his head. “Don’t worry about it. I wasn’t exactly watching where I was going.”

“I’m fine,” she laughed. Then her head tilted and she looked him over. Rumpled clothes, fluffy hair, and a little pale…she recognized him from somewhere. Her brain flipped through the past couple of weeks to figure it out. He stepped back, his face going a trifle nervous. Suddenly the images clicked. “Hey! You were sitting with Jane at the Sorting!”

“Jane Foster?” He frowned, more in curiosity than confusion because he continued with, “Yes, I was. We’re study partners in a couple of classes.”

“Great!” Her smile grew a smidgeon brighter and he blinked. “I’m her cousin, Darcy Lewis,” she explained. “I’m on my way to gather her up for lunch.”

“Oh, right, she told us about you,” he nodded. “I’m Bruce, Bruce Banner. Lunch?”

“If I don’t pull her out of the library, she’ll probably forget to eat altogether and one of these days she’ll just fall over from hunger. Now she’s dragging Betty with her and I won’t have it.” Her nose wrinkled as she considered it. One insane genius should be enough for any girl to handle, but no, Darcy has to go make friends with another one.

“What happened to breakfast?” Bruce asked, his brow knotting in confusion.

Darcy gaped at him. “Seriously? Is that like a serious question?”

“Um...yes?”

“Another one,” she muttered in astonishment. Then she pinned him with a direct gaze. “What did you eat for dinner last night?”

“Um…”

“Stop!” She flung her arms up. “Just stop. Okay, come on.” Grabbing one of his arms, she started dragging him along with her towards the library. Fortunately he let her; she didn’t think she could have pulled him along if he got stubborn. “We are going to pull Jane and Betty away from whatever studies are currently nibbling on their brains and then we are going to all go down for food.” A thought occurred to her. She tossed him a frown over her shoulder. “Anybody else got a habit of skipping meals so they can stuff their minds?”

“Tony, maybe,” he offered. He still appeared confused, but now he was studying her as though she were some unknown type of being. 

“Really?”

“Probably, but it’s possible he has Jarvis bringing him food,” Bruce shrugged. “He doesn’t usually show up in the Great Hall except at the major feasts.”

“Who is Jarvis?” Darcy lifted a brow.

“Tony’s house-elf.”

“House-“ She stopped and then started nodding in understanding. “Oh, yes, right…Stark. They would have an extra house-elf to send off to school.”

“Extra?”

“Let me guess,” she smiled as they reached the library doors. “Muggle-born?” He nodded and she sighed. “The Stark family is pureborn and one of, if not the richest Wizarding families in the entire country. So yes, they probably have several, more than enough to spare one for their son here. Come on.” She pushed open the doors, keeping one hand on his arm to make sure he followed her. Not that she couldn’t find him again, but it would be easier to herd them if they all started off within reach. Her eyes scanned the room slowly, looking for the right light brown and deep brunette shades bent over this or that book. It took a moment, but she finally spotted them in a back corner. “Ha!”

The librarian, Mr. Xavier raised an eyebrow at her, but shook his head with a smile when she gave him her best cheeky grin. He liked her – she usually sat and quietly sketched. So if she went a little overboard once in a great while, he wouldn’t raise a fuss unless she started to put his beloved books and scrolls at risk. She waved and then made straight for the other two girls. “I need three hands,” she huffed as she came up beside them.

Betty looked up immediately. “What?” She blinked. “Oh, hi Darcy. What’s wrong?” Her smile gentled some as she spotted the slightly shell-shocked boy behind her friend. “Hi, Bruce.”

“Hey,” he nodded to her, shuffling a little. 

Darcy ignored the interaction and poked her cousin. “Jane.”

“G’way, Darce,” Jane muttered.

“Nope, time for lunch.”

“In a few minutes.”

Darcy’s eyes narrowed, but a group of people walked up at that moment. She glanced around and smiled. “Hey Bucky, Steve…and friend.” The new girl seemed to be around the same age as Steve and Bucky, but she was wearing Slytherin colors. 

“Darcy,” Bucky nodded. “This is Peggy Carter.”

Peggy smiled, holding out a hand to shake. “How do you do, Miss…?”

“Thrilled, charmed, and nice to meet you,” Darcy breezed, accepting the offered hand. “Call me Darcy.”

“Peggy, then, please.”

“Great! Can I borrow the boys?” Darcy asked.

Peggy blinked, a startled laugh escaping from her. “I suppose,” she replied, bewilderment entering her gaze.

“Don’t we get a say in this?” Steve wondered, but his lips twitched.

“Nope,” Darcy chirped. “Bucky, you’re in charge of Betty. Steve, you and Peggy make sure we don’t lose Bruce.” She pointed to the boy behind her before rubbing her hands together. “I’ve got the hard job.” She turned back to her cousin. The low conversation around her nearly distracted her from trying to persuade Jane to take a break.

“I don’t even know what’s going on,” Bruce muttered.

“Join the club,” Steve replied.

Betty giggled. “It’s Darcy,” she said softly. “Just go with it. I think we’re going to lunch.”

The group fell silent for several long minutes as Darcy and Jane continued to have a hushed argument.

“Lunch?” Bucky finally asked softly. “This is about lunch?”

“And how would we ‘lose’ Bruce over lunch?” Peggy added.

“Because obviously he’s a lot like Jane,” Darcy huffed and tossed them a look as she finally managed to get Jane moving towards the door. Betty covered her mouth to keep from laughing, but the others still looked perplexed. Darcy rolled her eyes. “His brain talks too loud for his stomach to get a word in edgewise and he’s going to keel over before he remembers he has to eat something.”

“I am not that bad!” Jane hissed at her.

“You had to go to St. Mungo’s twice over the summer because Uncle Harry and Aunt Eve found you passed out in your room,” Darcy sniffed disdainfully as she led her out of the library. She glanced over her shoulder to make sure the others were following. “So,” she said in a normal voice once more, “will anybody freak if I sit with you? I’m not going to leave you lot to your own devices.”

“We’ll grab an end of one, shall we?” Peggy said. When Darcy lifted a brow at her, she just smiled. “This is the most fun I’ve had today. Besides I enjoy keeping my house guessing. Silly, the whole group of them.”

“She doesn’t like the House system,” Steve explained, fighting a grin.

“Actually,” she corrected, “I would not mind at all if it were a simple matter of competition….sportsmanlike and civilized. It is the divisive prejudice I dislike. The fostering of hatred and superiority is unconscionable.” 

“She also likes to use big words and impress with her vocabulary,” Bucky pointed out in a droll voice.

The entered the Great Hall, bickering and teasing back and forth. Heads turned and eyes narrowed as the entire group moved to the end of the Hufflepuff table and sat down. Almost immediately a Ravenclaw student stood up and strolled over. 

“Interesting seating arrangement,” Tony Stark sat down beside Bruce. “I like it.” His gaze combed each face. “So, study group? Quidditch wagering? Rebellion in the works?”

“Nope,” Darcy replied. “Just lunch.”

“Well that’s boring,” he told her.

“Only if you’re the one passing out,” she shot back. “Everybody else has to deal with panicking people, unhappy professors, and long lectures. In order to avoid all of the above, we are having lunch.”

“Pushy know-it-all first year, aren’t you?” 

His mocking voice caused Steve and Bucky to come to their feet, protests visible on their faces. Jane’s lips folded, but she stayed seated. Darcy waved the boys back down and smiled at Jane before turning a sharp gaze on Tony’s smirking face. “You joined us,” she reminded him. “If you don’t want to do things our way, there’s a whole table over there. Go have a seat. Over here, the geniuses are going to eat because if they don’t they pass out, get forgetful, or,” and here her eyes speared him directly, “turn in to snobby brats.” Folding her arms over her chest, she lifted her chin. “I may only be a first year, but I’ve got more common sense than you four put together.”

He frowned and opened his mouth. Before he could speak, he flinched. His eyes flew towards Jane to find his fellow Ravenclaw scowling at him. “Shut up, Stark,” she told him. “Don’t you dare insult my cousin again or I will sabotage every experiment you do between now and Christmas.”

“You kicked me!”

“Yes, and I’ll do it again if you’re not careful,” she warned him.

“Huh.” His eyes narrowed and he looked over the whole group once more, taking in the various expressions. Then he shrugged and grinned. “You people are fun. Is this going to become a thing?”

“Two meals a day,” Darcy decreed.

“Who made you the boss anyway?” he asked even as the food appeared on the table.

“She did,” Darcy pointed at Jane. “Over the summer. I added Betty after I realized Jane was going to convert her to her wicked ways. Added Bruce a bit ago when he was startled it was lunch time and wanted to know what had happened to breakfast.”

“Okay,” Tony shrugged again before starting to eat, pointing out some strange equations on his parchment to Bruce and Jane.

“Guess he’s staying,” Steve blinked.

“That’s Stark for you,” Bucky chuckled. “Always got to be a pain in the ass before he acts normal.”

“Language,” Darcy poked him in the shoulder, eyes sliding towards Betty who looked flustered. 

“Don’t mind them,” Peggy told the younger girl as she patted Betty’s arm. “They enjoy running their mouths a little too much. It makes them careless.”

Darcy repressed a laugh as the two Gryffindor boys started arguing and Peggy riposted easily. She began to eat, keeping one eye on her cousin who had stuck her nose into Tony and Bruce’s conversation. As she watched, she caught Bucky slipping extra treats to Betty while Steve made sure Tony’s plate stayed in front of him whenever the Ravenclaw boy tried to make more room for his diagrams. She relaxed even further when Peggy convinced Bruce to try some new offerings that just arrived on the table.

Cool – geniuses fed and in record time. She should have thought of reinforcements before now…of course, she didn’t actually have any before now, but…well, at least now there’s a potential there. Though, really, when it was only Jane, she could handle it, but with Betty and Bruce and now Tony Stark it seemed…wait a minute.

How did she manage to get into the middle of this again?

Later that day she found herself following Steve and Bucky down one of Hogwarts’ apparently endless number of corridors. Steve wanted to show her something and Bucky insisted on tagging along. They acted like the twins back in London. Neither of them went anywhere without the other. It was a thing – if you found Steve, you found Bucky…and the reverse was true as well. 

“Okay, punk, where are we going again?” Bucky demanded. “We could be headed for the Quidditch field.”

Steve tossed a half-hearted glare at him. “You didn’t have to come,” he pointed out. “Darcy asked if there was a good spot where she could get a better view of the grounds for her sketching. It’s one of the best locations.”

“Yeah,” Bucky scowled, “until Selvig catches us up there. He’s not really sure he likes us, you know.”

“You shouldn’t have pranked his telescope,” Steve pointed out.

“He’s Jane’s favorite,” Darcy piped up at that moment. They both stopped and turned to stare at her. She almost stumbled into them before blinking in confusion. “What?”

“Selvig is her favorite?” Bucky demanded. “He’s…um…”

“Well, he’s a little…” Steve’s voice trailed off and the boys exchanged a look.

“Yeah, yeah, I know,” she sighed. “But he’s Jane’s favorite and he’s really kind of nice when he’s not being all weird about stars and charts and whatever. Prank Professor Richards or Mr. Summers next time.” She took a breath, but stopped when a strange sound caught her attention. “Did you hear that?”

All three students turned to look back down the hallway. Darcy could feel the two boys step closer to her. The sound came again and this time Bucky and Steve stiffened for a moment before tearing down the hallway towards the noise. “Hey!”

Bucky glanced back over his shoulder. “Stay there!”

“Yeah, right!” She began chasing after them, not bothering to try catching them, but at least wanting to keep them in sight. 

The sounds grew louder as they drew closer and Bucky put on more speed even as Steve had to slow down. Darcy caught up with him as he leaned against the wall for a moment to breathe. She hovered while he coughed, trying to catch his breath, and they could hear Bucky arguing with someone although none of the words were clear. He straightened after several long moments. “Come on,” he said, hitching a shoulder. “We better find Bucky.”

“Follow the scuffle?” she smirked.

They continued, slower this time, but still as determined. Rounding a last corner they found Bucky standing protectively over a slumped figure while he faced down a trio of students, two Slytherins and one Ravenclaw. 

“Oh, look,” the apparent leader of the group sneered. “I believe your backup has arrived - firstling girl and the sickly Rogers. How appropriate.”

“Shut up, Odinson,” Bucky snarled. Something cold and almost frightening crossed his face. The other boys hesitated.

“Hey, you’re that pure-blood fanatic from the train,” Darcy blurted out, suddenly remembering the incident on the Express.

“And you are the foolish little girl who thinks blood purity means nothing,” he sneered.

“Meet Loki Odinson,” Steve told Darcy with a hard edge in his voice. “Blood purist and bully.”

“That much I’d guessed,” she told him, stepping a little further away from the boy in question. Her gaze turned to the boy Bucky was protecting. He was slowly pulling himself up, one arm bracing his ribs. Blazing blue eyes connected with hers – he might have been down, but he was far from out. 

“So weak,” Loki scoffed in a voice heavy with disdain. He started to say something else when a fist connected with his cheek. His head snapped to one side, he stumbled, and then fell. 

Bucky loomed over him. “Try picking on someone your own size.”

Loki pulled himself off of the ground, glaring at all four of them. His pale skin was already beginning to bruise. “You will pay for that, Barnes.” His eyes gleamed, the light of the setting sun almost giving them a red glow. “All of you will.” The three bullies rushed down the hall and around the corner.

“What is this?” thundered a new voice. “Brother, what has happened to your eye?”

“Oh, great,” Bucky muttered. “Big brother’s here.”

A big blonde came storming towards them, fury etched in every line of his face. “Barnes! Rogers! What is the meaning of this?”

“Seriously?” Darcy demanded. Her tone brought him to a stop, but only for a moment.

“Stay out of this,” he ordered her, starting to turn back to the boys. 

“Not a chance,” she scoffed, pulling out her wand. 

“You dare to threaten me?” His face grew dark with irritation and he took one menacing step towards her.

Darcy flicked her wand. _“Ad Somnum!”_

Bucky and Steve watched in amazement as the other boy wavered for a moment, hand reaching out, before he suddenly fell backwards. A light snoring drifted up from the floor. They turned wide eyes towards her and she gave them her best innocent look. The boy she had yet to meet muffled a laugh.

“Darcy!”

They looked up to find Jane and Bruce staring at them, mouths wide in shock.

“What?” Darcy demanded, flustered by all the sudden attention. “He was freaking me out!”


End file.
